The Fears of Two Heroes
by Cliara Aedai
Summary: Everyone has fears, even Skulduggery and Valkyrie. Although some fears are a little shocking and unexpected. It takes a doctors appointment, a pathetic criminal and some clever bargaining to discover this, read and find out what happens! No pairings


**A/N: ****Hey guys, I am just rambling with this story. I still appreciate reviews though, because I need feedback if I want to continue writing. I am not going to beg like other authors, but reviews don't take very long and I promise I won't be offended if you all hate my writing. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skulduggery Pleasant or any of the characters. I do own my little villain later on though **

"Absolutely not, never in a million years!" Valkyrie Cain protested, standing abruptly from her dead Uncle's office chair.

"Come on, Val! Are you seriously going to make a fuss over this? You are a 14 year old girl who regularly fights vampires and evil dudes with me! With _me! _And I don't just partner up with anyone, it could hurt my reputation!" Skulduggery exclaimed, his eye sockets somehow showing disbelief.

"What reputation?" Valkyrie scoffed.

"My too-cool-for-you reputation!"

"As if, Skul-man. The only reputation you have is a scary one, mixed with a little idiocy."

"Did you just call me an idiot? Well…you are…." Skulduggery lamely countered. He sighed dramatically. "I've got nothing."

"Gotcha" Valkyrie grinned, momentarily smug with her small victory. Skulduggery glared at her for a moment before silently chuckling to himself.

"What?" Val asked suspiciously.

"You nearly distracted me, but I won't be fooled so easily. You need to get flu injection, and you need to get it this afternoon at 3pm" He said smugly before jumping out the window of Gordon's study.

"No! I won't! Skulduggery!" She cried desperately. "And you could have used the door."

Valkyrie sat sulking in her room when her cell phone rang loudly. She glanced at the caller ID and nearly threw the phone against the wall when she saw who it was.

"What do you want Skulduggery?"

"Hello happy. How's your morning been?" He replied quickly.

"Terrible. I have spent the last forty minutes stressing about the next torture you will be putting me through." She replied gruffly, staring at her toes.

"Aww, don't be like that Val. I have something to cheer you up! We need to go to the bank in Main Street and catch an Elemental who just broke in and might expose the magical world if we don't hurry! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

And despite her stubborn self, Valkyrie grinned.

"I will meet you in an hour."

"What! A whole hour? How about we try ten minutes, then we might have a chance at catching this guy."

Valkyrie sighed. "Skulduggery, I am really not in the mood to-"

"See you soon" He said and left her talking to the beeping phone.

"Stupid skeleton!"

Twenty minutes later, Valkyrie was in front of the bank, staring at the entrance, completely alone. That is until a black Bentley roared up beside her, just stopping short of her toes.

"Skulduggery! Are you trying to make me angry? Or is it just a natural habit!"

"Hush, we need to get moving. I was chased by a vampire for no apparent reason. Well, it could have been my charming looks, but I somehow think there was another motive. That is why I am late, and no, I was not trying to make you mad. I may not have a brain but I am not brainless." He paused his ramblings. "You know what? Let's forget I just said that and go and catch us a bad guy."

They ran towards the door, only slowing as they entered the impressive walls. Trying to remain inconspicuous they walked along the wall and slowly walked towards the manager's office where the robber/elemental was holding the manager hostage. By the expressions of everyone in the building, no one else knew of the mayhem that was currently taking place, so they slipped into the room unnoticed. Skulduggery and Valkyrie stopped and stared at the scene before them.

The bank manager, Mr. Brown, was sitting on his chair staring upwards, clearly frightened. And above him stood a weakling of a man, wielding a gun. Skulduggery cleared his non-existent throat and announced:

"Mr. Boobleloaf, you are under arrest for the robbery of this building, holding a hostage, threatening to kill and risking exposure of…certain…things." He said carefully, fully aware of the mortal in the room. He was about to proceed when Valkyrie broke into fits of laughter.

"BOOBLELOAF! Who has such a stupid name! And you are trying to be a criminal!" She yelled, in hysterics.

"Names can be misleading!" Boobleloaf exclaimed, moving his gun towards her. This was all the distraction Skulduggery needed to slip in under his arm and fold it behind his own back, knocking the gun away in the process and placing cuffs on his hands that prevented his magic.

"Let me go, you old fool! I have a vampire friend that will hunt you down if you kidnap me!" Boobleloaf yelled, trying and failing to get free of Skulduggery's stone embrace.

"Shut up you correctly named idiot. You are a complete wimp and are now under arrest. I hope you enjoy prison. And for the record, vampires don't scare me." Skulduggery retorted, causing Valkyrie to laugh harder than ever. They left through the door they had come in through, leaving behind a very confused bank manager.

After they had dropped of their poor excuse for a criminal, Skulduggery and Valkyrie sat back in the Bentley and headed off in silence. Until Valkyrie noticed he wasn't driving towards her home or Gordon's house.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"…Driving…" Skulduggery replied, fake confusion evident.

Val frowned. "Well as long as we are stating the obvious, you know your head is far too big for your shoulders?"

Skulduggery scowled, but said nothing else. Until he pulled up right in front of the doctor's and looked to his partner only to see her eyes widen and breathing speed up rapidly.

"Valkyrie? Are you alright? Your appointment is in ten minutes."

He received no answer or note of recognition.

"Val?" He asked getting slightly more worried. "Valkyrie Cain?"

It was only when she started full on panicking that Skulduggery placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently.

"Val? Valkyrie? Stephanie!"

The last call got her attention and she whispered "what?"

"I need you to talk a deep breath and tell me what is wrong."

Val followed his instruction and after a moment or two answered.

"I am really afraid of needles. I can't do this."

Skulduggery sighed.

"Val, you know it's ok to be afraid, don't you? Everyone is afraid of something."

"Well…. What are you afraid of?" She asked innocently.

"Nope, not telling. And don't you dare use those eyes on me!"

"Skulduggery! Please!" She cried.

"Val….."

"I promise if you tell me I will go in and get the injection with you having to drag me in there." She bargained.

"Fine. But only because I want you to be safe, ok? I am afraid of spiders. They send chills through my bones. They are gross and hairy and crawl through my ribs when I am meditating. Downright disgusting creatures."

Valkyrie laughed, momentarily forgetting where she was. "That's hilarious!"

"I figured that by the way you were laughing at me. Can we go in now? Your appointment is any minute now."

"Sure. Thanks for trusting me Skulduggery with your fear. But I never made any promise not to tell Tanith, or Ghastly or Kenspeckle…"

And with that Valkyrie ran towards the doctor's entrance, closely followed by one annoyed skeleton.

**Thanks for reading!**


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